NPR’s Songs Of 2009 So Far

America’s National Public Radio that non-profit bastion of all things indie (even Dave Sedaris contributes for them!) recently polled listeners on their favourite songs and albums of 2009 so far. And though it’s a little premature to be screaming “album of the year!” from warehouse rooftops, as far as song of the year goes I had my mind made up in January. In what is easily the most played track of my 2009, and evidently the 2009 of most NPR listeners, Animal Collective’s “My Girls” was voted song of the year – so far.

Back in January we said: “Despite the hyperbolic praise heaped upon Animal Collective, “My Girls”, Panda Bear’s euphoric ode to family life just might surpass the hype.” Six months down the track I can safely say it has. We also asked “Who would have thought that bass kicks and yelps could be so exhilarating?” Six months of music later and I still haven’t found anything quite as captivating as the understated tom toms and whoos! that propel “My Girls” through its heady psychedelics and lifted Frankie Knuckles arpeggiated synth line. Animal Collective’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion” was also voted album of the year so far. Here’s hoping the second half of 2009 is just as fruitful.

Check out NPR’s songs and albums of 2009 so far. What do you think? What are your favourite songs and albums of the year so far?

The Best Songs of 2009 (so far)
1. ‘My Girls’ Animal Collective
2. ‘Two Weeks’ Grizzly Bear
3. ‘Blood Bank’ Bon Iver
4. ‘The Rake’s Song’ The Decemberists
5. ‘Lisztomania’ Phoenix
6. ‘Zero’ Yeah Yeah Yeahs
7. ‘This Tornado Loves You’ Neko Case
8. ‘Sleepyhead’ Passion Pit
9. ‘Laughing With’ Regina Spektor
10. ‘The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid’ The Decemberists
11. ‘Train Song’ Feist and Ben Gibbard
12. ‘Knotty Pine’ David Byrne & Dirty Projectors
13. ‘Daniel’ Bat For Lashes
14. ‘Summertime Clothes’ Animal Collective
15. ‘One Wing’ Wilco
16. ‘The Fear’ Lily Allen
17. ‘Heads Will Roll’ Yeah Yeah Yeahs
18. ‘Wilco (The Song)’ Wilco
19. ‘Stillness Is The Move’ Dirty Projectors
20. ‘Help, I’m Alive’ Metric
21. ‘Anonanimal’ Andrew Bird
22. ‘On No’ Andrew Bird
23. ‘No You Girls’ Franz Ferdinand
24. ‘I And Love And You’ The Avett Brothers
25. ‘French Navy’ Camera Obscura
26. ‘Magpie To The Morning’ Neko Case
27. ‘Woods’ Bon Iver
28. ‘Black Hearted Love’ PJ Harvey and John Parish
29. ‘While You Wait For The Others’ Grizzly Bear
30. ‘Panic Switch’ Silversun Pickups

Best Albums of 2009 (so far)
1. Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
2. The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists
3. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear
4. Middle Cyclone by Neko Case
5. Wilco (The Album) by Wilco
6. Noble Beast by Andrew Bird
7. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix
8. It’s Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
9. Dark Was The Night by Various Artists
10. Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors
11. Far by Regina Spektor
12. Actor by St. Vincent
13. Manners by Passion Pit
14. Hold Time by M. Ward
15. Reservoir by Fanfarlo
16. Fever Ray by Fever Ray
17. Fantasies by Metric
18. Two Suns by Bat for Lashes
19. My Maudlin Career by Camera Obscura
20. Dark Night of the Soul by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse
21. The Crying Light by Antony & The Johnsons
22. The Eternal by Sonic Youth
23. The Ecstatic by Mos Def
24. Outer South by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
25. Swoon by Silversun Pickups
26. Together Through Life by Bob Dylan
27. No Line on the Horizon by U2
28. March of the Zapotec by Beirut
29. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
30. The Mountain by Heartless Bastards

NPR via The Daily Swarm

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